Gypsy Danger
by Gemenice
Summary: Prompt: Someone on the team makes a derogatory comment about gypsies in front of Robin. Robin sets them straight. A few weeks later at school, Artemis hears Dick Grayson getting mocked and bulliedfor being a gypsy and puts 2 and 2 together.


Disclaimer: Don't own them, never will.

~GYPSY DANGER~

If what Artemis remembered was true, it was Wally who asked them to have a movie night and of course, he picked the Pacific Rim movie. She didn't hear much good about it, but then again, there weren't many movies that were passable nowadays, so she didn't think there were much better choices out there.

And that was pretty much how they got into the situation they were at, at the moment. The movie wasn't even that far in, when Wally, of course – whom else, opened his big mouth.

"Gipsy Danger?" He snickered at the name of the Jaeger (or whatever was that big weird robot called), "why is it called that? Like is it the danger for gypsies or is it gypsy kind of danger?" He asked, his eyes shining. "What, is it going to steal from other Jaegers? Or from the Kaiju?" And okay, Artemis snickered at that, because it was just a stupid comment and it wasn't totally the worst one that Wally ever had.

Maybe that was why she didn't notice Robin's back tensing, before the boy stood up and glared at that.

"Really?" He asked and frowned – or at least Artemis thought he frowned, going by the voice, "You think that's funny, do you?" He asked, and his arms came to rest in front of his chest, and he reminded her so much of Batman that it wasn't even nice. "Let me tell you something, it's stupid and it's racist. First, Gypsies were people that were moving around a lot – that's why everyone is like this to them. They didn't really have a home, but yet, they were useful for everyone around, wherever they went. They made a living for themselves and they had a certain lifestyle that was important for them and everyone was happy. Of COURSE that didn't work out, because how would they pay taxes or whatever, so they were forced to stay at one point and no one bothered to help them get included into society." He spat out and Artemis' eyes widened. She wasn't sure she ever heard Robin talking like that. She wasn't sure he ever cared about something this much and looking at Wally, it didn't seem that he had more experience in that area.

"And that whole exclusion and racism, that is here until now. Sure there are gypsies that steal, but just tell me that there aren't white, black, Caucasian, Chinese, or whatever people or hell any other race in the galaxy that do the same. Seriously. No one bothers to at least figure out whether the comments are based on HALF the truth or not. They just go and say something like that, thinking how funny and original they are, and let me tell you, you are NOT. So maybe, pull your head out of your BUTT, KF, or we'd be forced to go around saying that all of the speedsters are stupid." He added and in next moment stalked away, through the zeta tube.

Artemis blinked and looked at Kaldu'r and Superboy, who were looking at them like they weren't really sure what they were supposed to say.

M'gann on the other hand didn't have the problem, considering the glare send their way.

"Racism only hurts people. It shouldn't matter what color you are or where you came from. We're supposed to be helping people out and be something like…example for them, not the other way, Wally." She said and left as well, though not through Zeta tube, so Artemis hoped that at least she wasn't that angry. And she didn't look really angry, she just seemed… sad.

"What did I do?" Wally whined as he looked at her, and Artemis shrugged. She really didn't get why it was such a big deal. Sure, Robin was right, but so was Wally. There were bunches of gypsies that were just assholes and made this whole world a horrible place to be at. So what, there were few of those that were passable and actually tried to work it out. That didn't change the fact that most of them sucked.

* * *

Artemis didn't think about the whole thing after that. It slipped her mind with all the missions and she felt like the school work at least tripled. So she really didn't have the time to think about the whole thing, and not thinking about that was even easier when Robin, after first few days returned to smiling and his sunny personality.

Or well, trollish personality, but even that was better that the frown that he had on his face first few hours after he came back to Mount Justice. And she'd like to pretend that he came of his own free will, instead of Batman ordering him, because of a mission or something. Yeah, they were a great team and there were no arguments anywhere around. God, sometimes she was so happy she was so skilled in the art of self-delusion..

Though the whole thing was at least a tiny bit amusing – and educative, since it kind of revealed some things. Things like Wally not eating as much as he used to, and throwing puppy eyes at Robin, when the guy didn't talk to him. Or Wally giving up one of the good muffins that M'gann made for Robin, of course without their youngest team member having any clue. Or maybe he did, with being Batman's sidekick and all – maybe one got the mind reading thing or whatever after they spent long enough with the bat.

And maybe that was why Robin took pity on them in the end. It was when she forced Wally to eat at least one of the cookies from M'gann because she couldn't stand watching him looking like a puppy that his master gave up on, or something (she would never told him so, though, he would be so loud and deny it, she didn't need to spend eternity listening to Wally complaining), so it was in the moment that he bit down on the cookie when the smokescreen exploded from it. And Wally almost choked, but then there was the laughter in the air and loud "ROB!" before the smoke disappeared along with the speedster running through Mount Justice.

And it was kind of happy yell and he was laughing too, so Artemis just shrugged, muttered under her breath about boys being boys and left for her room.

And it really was no wonder that the whole situation slipped her mind after that.

…that was until right now. Until she was standing in the hallway, watching three guys push at Grayson. She frowned. What the hell. Didn't usually the kids that weren't popular and freaking rich get picked on?

"Stop that." Richard Grayson growled, frowning at them.

"Yeah, or what? Your Gypsy parents will come to curse us? Oh wait, they're dead." One of the guys sneered and Grayson's eyes narrowed.

"Last warning. Shut up."

"Oh yeah, little Gypsy? I call bullshit on your last warning. See you can't do anything other than steal, get together with other gypsies to kill and bother people. Did Wayne take pity on you? Or I heard that gypsies are good whores, not being able to do anything else. Maybe that's why you are around? Whoring your way?"

And seriously, what the fuck. Artemis was about to step up at that, but Grayson was quicker. With three or four quick kicks – Artemis almost couldn't follow his movements – he had the two out of the way and the last one on the ground his arm turned in what looked like a really painful grip.

"Seriously? That's what you go for?" Grayson asked. "I'm a CHILD. And Bruce can get more than enough people to his bed with a look. He doesn't need to pay people for that. Which is more than your future holds, probably." He added, sounding more amused than angry. "Also steal? I'm Bruce Wayne's ward. That means I have anything I could wish for and more."

"Yeah and Gypsy like you doesn't deserve that." The guy on the ground growled and Artemis realized right there just how stupid he was – the yelp of pain that came after wasn't a surprise.

"Yeah, about that. " And there was cold steel in Grayson's voice once again. "Let me give you a lesson. Being called Gypsy is not an insult. Gypsies were talented people – they knew how to sing, how to dance, how to amuse people – they didn't need to whore themselves out for that, do you agree? " Another grunt of pain and Grayson nodded. "Good. So before you go whining about someone being a gypsy, at least find a good reason. Don't be racist for something anyone else does as well, sure we're not supposed to like that behavior, but walking around picking on people because of their ancestors, that's like me trying to bully you because your parents are white, stupid right?" Grayson asked, pushing at the twisted arm.

"Circus freak!"

Grayson thought about that, and nodded, before standing up.

"Better, not whelming, but better."

Artemis' eyes widened at that, because there was only one person she'd ever heard talking like that. Though that wasn't possible, was it? But if she thought about it, it all made sense suddenly. The picture, that they were supposed to laugh about later, the whole gypsy thing and Robin getting so mad and the Grayson's laughter…

And suddenly Artemis felt something heavy in her stomach. Was this what Robin went through at school? No wonder he got mad because of Wally's comment then.

She blinked when she noticed the guys running around her, glaring at Rob.

"Dirty Gypsy!"

"I thought we were going with the circus freak from now on!" Robin yelled back and then blinked at her. Oh, if it was Robin, she wasn't stupid enough to think he didn't know about her. So she licked her lips and stepped a bit closer.

"Hi." She said and he nodded at her, grin on his face again.

"Hi. Sorry for the… performance."

"Nah, it was good." She smiled. "Those guys were assholes. " Rob snickered at that and shrugged and Artemis let the smile fall off her face. "Does this happen often?"

"What, the Gypsy thing?" Robin asked and Artemis nodded, not really sure what to say about that. "Not this way usually. Most of the time they are content just hissing about how stupid gypsies are behind my back, way too loudly not to hear. Today was special. It shouldn't happen for some time now." He said with an easy shrug and that was what really got to Artemis. She thought that you needed only wealth to be popular – and obviously she was wrong.

No wonder that Robin jumped up like that in the cave. If he had to listen to this at the school and then from Wally, whom he probably considered his best friend and all…

"I'm sorry." She said quietly, because she was the one laughing at that too. And she had no right. She didn't even think about it, and just because she didn't jump to fight about that issue didn't make her much better than those kids.

And jus then Robin glanced at her, smirking widely.

"You figured it out, didn't you?" He asked, and snickered, throwing his arms out. "FINALLY. I was leaving SO many hints. Thought I would have to call Wally over to school or something."

And that? Rude. Artemis rolled her eyes, her arms crossing over her chest.

"Why didn't you just come up and say something then?"

"I'm Batman's ward." And there was that 'duh' tone in his voice and Artemis huffed before her eyes widened.

"Wait. Does that mean that Bruce Wayne's…"

"No. He's Alfred. Our butler." Robin said, snickering and ran away just as the school bell rang. And Artemis wondered what it meant that she wasn't sure whether to believe that butler thing or not.


End file.
